In the Aftermath
by poetLaurie
Summary: Buzz captured, Zurg triumphant...small little one-shot of the aftermath.  Please read and review :


**Author's Note:** just a little scene I had rattling around in my brain for a few days...and then in my computer for a few days after that LOL Not sure I am satisfied with the ending, but as I can't figure out what bugs me about it, here it is for y'all to (hopefully) enjoy :)

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>Zurg's laugh echoed off the cell walls, "Buzz Lightyear, at last. I have been waiting for this moment for years."<p><p>

Buzz looked at his arch-nemesis with a glare of hatred. His muscles ached from the latest beating and he still had the taste of blood in his mouth. He pulled at the strong chains that held him fast against the wall. "What have you done with my friends?"

"Your friends? You mean that irritating sheriff and his sister? I'd worry less about them and more about you. Especially since your life expectancy has shortened greatly."

"Let them go. You have me, now. That's all you've been after."

Zurg pointed his ion blaster at Buzz, "You're right. But I'm not going to kill you just yet. A dying man should be granted one last request. You want to know what happened to your friends? I'm more than happy to tell you…at least about one of them." He nodded behind him and one of the guards stepped around Zurg's flowing cloak.

Buzz's eyes widened in horror as the guard threw Jessie on the floor in front of him. Her face was bruised and bloodied, her blouse torn in several places, and her breath came in short gasps. Buzz felt the full force of his hatred coursing through his veins, "What have you done to her?"

Zurg waved his hand dismissively, "Nothing more than she deserved. She's been quite a nuisance, and should have surrendered to me when I gave her the chance."

Jessie pushed herself to her elbows, looking up at Buzz. She saw the fear in his eyes and knew there was nothing she could do to take it away. She wanted to say so much, but her words caught in her throat. All she could do was try to convey how much she loved him with a look. The sound of the ion blaster reached her ears and her body stiffened before slumping to the floor. Her eyes fluttered closed and she lay completely still.

Zurg turned and walked to the cell door. Looking back over his shoulder, he smirked, "Don't feel too bad, Lightyear. You'll be joining her soon enough." With that comment he swept from the room with the guard.

Buzz swallowed the lump in his throat as he looked as Jessie's placid face. "Jess?" he whispered, hopefully, but she did not respond. There was only the sound of his own breathing. Hot tears rolled out of his deep blue eyes, "Jessie! Oh God, no… Jess, please…wake up. Wake up, wake up!" He struggled against his bonds, desperately trying to break free to reach the woman he loved. Both his struggles and utterances were in vain and he let out a loud cry of anguish. He sagged against the wall, the chains wholly supporting his weight as he hung his head. Tears rained from his eyes as he whispered repeatedly, "Wake up. Wake up. Wake up."

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><p>"Wake up. Buzz, wake up," spoke a soft, yet firm voice.<p>

The Space Ranger sat straight up in his bed, gasping for breath, his eyes wide with alarm and disorientation.

Jessie's cool hand wiped the sweat from his forehead, "Buzz, it's okay, it was just a dream. Everything's fine."

He searched her face, looking for the bruises and cuts. Finding none, he pressed his hand against her cheek and closed his eyes. Relief that she was real and alive brought fresh tears to his cheeks.

Jessie pulled his head to her shoulder, cradling it in her hands, "Shhh, everything fine. I'm right here."

He wrapped his arms around her, feeling the soft skin of her shoulder as he buried his face into her neck. "It was only a dream," he muttered to himself. He pulled away from her neck and kissed her feverishly, taking her face into his hands.

She returned his kisses, wanting to reassure him. She pulled away and rested her hands on top of his, "Tell me what happened."

Taking a deep breath, Buzz recounted the dream, shuddering at the remembrance of her lifeless form. "I swear, Jess, I will never let that happen."

She favored him with a soft smile, "I know you won't." She kissed his forehead, pulling him back onto the mattress. They kept their arms around each other, and he lay his head on her chest. Buzz was soon asleep, the sound of her heartbeat serving as a soothing lullaby. Jessie stared at the ceiling, trailing her fingers gently through his tousled hair, her mind wide awake. She knew his worst fear, something that haunted his dreams night after night. No matter how much she wanted to keep those dreams away, all she could do was comfort him in the aftermath. She sighed slightly, tightening her arm around his shoulders. "I won't let it happen either, Buzz," she vowed in a whisper.


End file.
